Trying to Decide

He asked if we could talk for a few minutes. Of course, the answer is always yes. He’s trying to decide if he wants to stay where he has been preaching the past few years (he’s not happy there and he doesn’t know how long they can keep paying him), whether he wants to pick up his family, move to another state and try to start fresh, or keep his family in the community that has become home (which if he does, he will probably have to get our of ministry and take another job).

It’s complicated! Have you seen how some people say, “It’s Complicated) on the Social Media profile under relationship? It isn’t as easy as it might seem at first glance. The above scenario is real, and it has been repeated numerous times through the years. There may be some preachers who are reading this, and you might be wondering if I’m writing this about you. I’m not, but it’s real. What makes it so complicated?

Your wife has developed some close friendships and she doesn’t want to lose those relationships. The kids have done well in school, they are well-adjusted and they have several friends in the church. You feel better about your preaching, than you have in many years. How can I leave a place like this?

But the elders seem to be constantly on you about something. You haven’t received an end-of-the-year bonus or a raise in a long time. People don’t tell you anymore how much they love your preaching. The elders have recently made some decisions that seem to be unwise to you, without mentioning it to you, and you hear about some of them the day they are announced. How in the world can I stay at a place like this??

Remember this, Our Lord doesn’t require us to be preachers to be counted faithful to Him. It isn’t mandatory for us to be in ministry to be pleasing to Him. But, if you decide to stay in it for the long haul, the Lord will be pleased, the church will be blessed, and the world will be better.